* September 1992: Hurricane Iniki caused more damage than any other hurricane to affect Hawaii since records began. Technically speaking, hurricanes tend to be pushed away from Hawaii because of a high-pressure zone that normally resides to the northeast of the Islands. Hawaii typically records four or five hurricanes each. The storm weakened as it moved But at the end of the day, Lane, like most hurricanes did not reach landfall in Hawaii. In other words, hurricanes aren't even physically possible in Hawaii for over half of the year. * August 2007: Hurricane Flossie passed within 100 miles of the Big Island, bringing rain and tropical storm-force winds. It had formed in the eastern . government Peak gusts Deaths: Property damage . * July 1992: Hurricane Georgette brought locally squally winds over the state as a depression. Three hurricanes struck the island of Kauai hard, including the most. The mountains are where we'll see the highest rainfall totals and the strongest winds, McNoldy said. night of August 6. Of course, an El Nio does not guarantee a hurricane will impact Hawaii. Plantation manager, D.D. Jonathan Belles, Jon Erdman and Linda Lam, Dallas Area Storms Cause Power Transformer To Explode, Rockslide In Californias Santa Monica Mountains. These conditions tend to weaken, deflect, or dissipate approaching storms. When the bottom of a storm moves one way and the top moves the other, the system gets blown apart and weakens. widespread The USGS states that "more commonly, near-misses that generate large swell and moderately high winds causing varying degrees of damage are the hallmark of hurricanes passing close to the islands. In the vast Pacific Ocean, Hawaii's total land area is only about 6,400 square miles, the fourth-smallest U.S. state by land area, larger than only Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. Most of the storm damage was done by these falling trees, including knocking down power lines and blocking roads. Hurricanes and tropical storms are normally steered clear of the Hawaiian Islands by a high pressure feature that is typically parked to the northeast of the islands and keeps the weather consistent throughout the year. * 1988 Uleki 2 * July 1993: Hurricane Eugene dropped valuable rain on the state as it dissipated. El Nio allows warmer water to push farther north into the more typical east to west trek of tropical systems from the eastern Pacific. {.FJ!FFK2IHxyDsSw0IA1?T6],#LP_C%`L }^d"!sQq2OI\t)dO6O6!EgKzPBI{?B$_O |3x!L. * August 2009: The remnants of Hurricane Felicia brought light rainfall to the northern islands. fences and trees.". That high pressure is particularly strong from May through October primehurricane season. Classic cars. In other words, a hurricane finding Hawaii is like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. In some areas of the island, palm trees snapped in half, suggesting winds were locally more than 125 mph. No Dot-related deaths were recorded. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM. There are several reasons why this happens so often. Virtually all hurricanes near the Hawaiian Islands since 1949 have approached from the southeast, south or southwest. [45], A partial source of this idea may be the long list of hurricanes in the above paragraphs that dissipated into tropical storms or depressions upon approaching the islands. Sea-surface temperatures are typically warmer the further south you get in the northern Pacific, which means a tropical cyclone moving toward Hawaii from the south would have a better chance of surviving to the islands. * August 2004: The remnants of Hurricane Darby passed over the islands and combined with an upper level trough to create unstable moisture, dropping up to 5 inches of rain in a few hours on the Big Island, causing flooding and road closures. El Nio allows warmer water to push farther north into the more typical east to west trek of tropical systems from the eastern Pacific. Dating to 1950, there is no record of a hurricane landfalling on the Big Island of Hawaii. * August 1970: Tropical Storm Maggie passed just south of the Big Island, dropping nearly 10 inches of rain. 1940s. Quick Links Last Year's Storms All Storms USA Major Storms of the Last Decade Category 3-5 USA 2010-2019 Strongest North Atlantic Hurricanes Category 5 All-time Hurricane Katrina 2005 Impact Storm 1900s. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. Damages from Dot cost no more than a few million dollars, and rainfall was relatively light; around 4 inches. * August 1871: Excerpts from the Hawaiian Gazette described a weather event that at least resembled a tropical cyclone. The islands of Hawaii, with Kauai as the notable exception, appear to be remarkably immune from direct hurricane hits. No further records are available, but extrapolation of its forward movement predicted that it would make landfall on the southern coast of the, August 9, 1871: Indigenous newspapers record a major category 3 hurricane causing significant damage across the islands of, November 1874: In November, a possible tropical cyclone may have dropped over 20 inches (510mm) of rain on, December 190203: A low-pressure system (known later as "The Froc Cyclone") that took a path similar to that of a tropical cyclone, passed through, October 1906: In October a tropical cyclone passed about 60 miles (97km) south of, November 1906: 90 miles (140km) south of Honolulu on November 3, 1906, a tropical cyclone was recognized. It was also considered the first official hurricane in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands.The fourth tropical cyclone of the 1950 Pacific hurricane season, Hiki formed as a tropical depression to the southeast of Hawaii on August 12. All the islands reported some surf damage along their southwest facing shores, and wind damage was widespread on Kauai. Dot brought sustained winds of 81 mph with gusts to 103 mph to Kilauea Light. Both Iniki and 'Iwa struck Hawai'i during ENSO 1910s. Locally strong wind gusts reached 58 miles per hour at some localities, mainly over Maui and the Big Island. Hurricanes need ocean waters of at least 80F to develop and maintain the convection engine at their core, so colder waters can shut them down. * August 1988: Tropical Storm Gilma moved through the island chain as a depression, dropping locally heavy rainfall of up to 4 inches in some places. August is the peak month for tropical cyclones in the central Pacific basin, chalking up twice as many (74) as September (37) from 1971-2013, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. was the "Kohala Cyclone" of 1871. Lahaina Harbor, Loading Dock Main Booth by Dr Jeff Masters, Weather Underground, October 16, 2014 (excerpt). Vintage music. BROWSE BY TOPIC. Image credit: NOAA/CSC. The storm wobbled northward toward the Islands, finally veering The storm remained powerful enough, however, to bring torrential rains, damaging surf and strong winds that destroyed crops, including over 1/2 of the state's papaya crop, and knocked down thousands of trees, particularly invasive albizia trees in the Puna District. HURRICANE HIKI August 12, 1950 August 21, 1950 Hurricane Hiki is considered the first official hurricane recorded in the vicinity of the islands, and it is also the wettest tropical. * JulyAugust 1983: Hurricane Gil passed over northern Hawaii as a tropical storm, causing minor damage. Of course, this doesn't mean every single storm will do that in the future. Hawaii (January 1983); "The History of Hurricanes in Hawaii", Honolulu Star-Bulletin, July 18, 1983, p. A-5; "20-Foot Waves Hit Big . It's this high-pressure zone that keeps Hawaii's weather fairly consistent throughout the year. Tropical cyclone records were not kept before the 1950s. dark Since 1970, definitive satellite coverage for The mountainous terrain of the islands amplifies the rain threat and contributes to the threat of ensuingflash floodsand mudslides. Dot swung northward after apparently forming in the East Pacific, traveling almost parallel to the Island chain, before passing directly over Kaua'i on the night of August 6. 1950s. Factors weakening Hawaii-bound tropical cyclones. * August 2008: The remnants of Hurricane Hernan brought moisture to the Big Island, causing cloud and shower activity. In fact, hurricane expert Michael Lowry told the Weather Channel there is a 35% chance of a hurricane coming within 100 miles of Hawaii in an El Nio year vs. 22% in a non-El Nio year. "Hurricane Iniki caused nearly $3 billion in damage in Hawaii back in September 1992, which would . Nina moved north and took a sharp turn to the west without actually striking the state. sustained winds over Kaua'i still exceeding 80 mph, which snapped trees cause major wind damage. * 1950 Hiki 1 Historically, From 1950 through 2021, around 30 hurricanes have passed within 200 nautical miles of the Big Island, Maui, Honolulu or Kauai, according to NOAA's historical hurricane database. By the way, did you know that you can now save $10/person on our Maui Princess Dinner Cruise or a Snorkel Adventure to the Island of Lanai? While there are usually between four or five tropical cyclones in the central Pacific ocean each year, fewer than ten have gotten within 200 nautical miles of the islands since records began to be. On average, four to five tropical cyclones occur in the central Pacific Ocean basin - between 140-180 degrees west longitude -each year, according toDr. Rick Knabb,Hurricane Expert at The Weather Channel and past director of the National Hurricane Center. Again, that track was initially well south of Hawaii before it curled north. August 1959: Hurricane Dot was another powerful August arrival. August 1958: On August 7, a tropical storm seemed to rapidly appear directly off the coast of, January 1971: Although not having existed in the Central Pacific as a tropical cyclone, the, September 2005: An upper-level trough which had resulted in the remnants of, July 2016: Moisture associated with the remnants of, July 2016: Large swells as high as 15ft (4.6 m) generated by the remnants of, This page was last edited on 23 November 2022, at 18:17. According to the NOAA historical hurricane database, from 1950 - 2017, only 14 hurricanes have ever passed within 200 miles of Hawaii. The most common months for cyclones in this area are July, August, and September, but they have occurred in most months (see below). One such hurricane formed in an El Nio year: 1992. Although it was only a category 1 storm, it passed just miles west of Kauai, moving at a speed of nearly 50 miles per hour. The map also shows how Hawai'i lies near the 27 C ocean surface temperature threshold in the warm month August and the wind shear resulting from surface tradewinds (green arrows) blowing in the opposite direction of the upper air winds (purple arrows). * October 2009: Hurricane Neki caused minor damage to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, striking the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument as a tropical storm. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. More than three dozen hurricanes, or tropical cyclones, have impacted the Hawaiian islands since 1950, causing at least 12 deaths. In the vast Pacific Ocean, Hawaii's total land area is only about 6,400 square miles, the fourth smallest U.S. state by land area, larger than only Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. disaster ever to strike the United States, with damages estimated at over No doubt about that. Hawaii has been directly hit by hurricanes only three times since 1950, though the region has had 147 tropical cyclones over that time. * September 1992: Hurricane Orlene struck Hawaii as a tropical depression causing heavy rainfall, washing out roads, shortly after Iniki ravaged Kauai. Both mountains rise to elevations in excess of 13,000 feet above sea level, and as Flossie approached the island, its track shifted abruptly overnight and assumed a more northerly alignment, heading instead to the island of Maui on July 29. Historical Hurricane Tracks Let's find a hurricane you're interested in. that appear to have been tropical cyclones. Only two named storms approaching from the east have hit the islands since 1949, an unnamed 1958 tropical storm and Tropical Storm Iselle of 2014, which hit the Big Island. One such hurricane formed in an El Nio year: 1992. further damage to fields of pineapple and other crops. Virtually every system approaching Hawaii from the east since 1950 tracking at least as far north as the latitude of the Big Island of Hawaii eventually weakened to a tropical storm or depression by the time it reached the islands. Another reason hurricanes miss Hawaii is the cool waters surrounding the islands. * July 1971: Hurricane Denise dissipated before reaching Hawaii, but brought beneficial rain of more than one inch to dry farms and sugar plantations. one of the most severe ENSO years on record. By comparison, the Hawaiian Islands are just under 11,000 square miles and the actual landmass is just 6,400 square miles. , %*|? Cooler sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific waters to the east of the Big Island of Hawaii keep the air somewhat cooler above it, increasing the stability of the atmosphere, making it less susceptible to forming and maintaining thunderstorms. Rainfall totals are expected to reach 5 to 8 inches across the islands, with some isolated pockets possibly seeing as much as 12 inches. major agricultural damage, particularly to macadamia orchards. Only light rain was reported. More than three dozen hurricanes, or tropical cyclones, have impacted the Hawaiian islands since 1950, causing at least 12 deaths. Project 2:Assume that you want to look up some background information on Hawaii hurricanes before 1950. "Hurricane Iniki caused nearly $3 billion in damage in Hawaii back in September 1992, which . Vintage TV. there have been numerous reports of high winds and stormy conditions in Hawaiian Hawaii has been, and will be in the future, hit by hurricanes. If it stays a hurricane, it will be the first to hit the Big Island head-on since records began in 1950, and could even be the first since a possible cyclone hit in 1872, saidNational Weather Servicemeteorologist Michael Cantin. Just use the promocode VIP20 after clicking on this link:Hawaii Ocean Project Adventures. Hurricane Dot (1959) caused damage to Kauai. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Sea-surface temperatures are typically warmer the further south you get in the northern Pacific, which means a tropical cyclone moving toward Hawaii from the south would have a better chance of surviving to the islands. On average, between four and five tropical cyclones are observed in the Central Pacific every year. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Damage is unrecorded. * November 1906: 90 miles south of Honolulu on Nov. 3, 1906, a tropical cyclone was recognized. Hurricane Dot arrived in 1959 and an unnamed storm occurred in 1871. codes, with Kaua'i opting for higher standards of construction by requiring But do you know what else is awesome? Why a Blizzard Is Hitting Southern California, How to Engineer Buildings That Withstand Earthquakes, Why the Earthquake in Turkey Was So Damaging and Deadly, Climate Change Has Influenced the Timing of Europe's Floods, Court Scuttles Rule Cutting Potent Greenhouse Gas, Wildfire Burns across (Formerly) Icy Greenland.